Sweden is leading in heat pump deployment, Finland has set the world’s most ambitious climate target in law and Norway is a global leader in e-mobility. The nordic countries are consistently ahead when it comes to electric vehicle sales and share of renewables in the power mix. In this session we ask how are they so ahead, what got them here, what are policy-makers and companies doing right and how can other markets learn from their lead?
Asmund Moll Frengstaad, Chief Commercial Officer at Current Eco As, highlights that removing tax on electric vehicles has paved the way for e-mobility in Norway. “The price comparison between an ICE car and the electric car has been there from the start. Creating an environment where it is an economic benefit for you to be environmentally friendly whilst still driving a car is the key to success."
Olivia Nestius, Chief Business Development Officer at Svea Solar adds: "Sweden and the nordics in general have been quite fast in reacting to the early warning signs of climate change. We then tightened and strengthened our energy efficiency policies and also aided to help consumers, industries and more actors to adapt to this new reality that we are facing. So we have been incentivizing...the use of renewable energy through the use of carbon taxes and energy taxes."
According to Kristine Fiksen, Partner at THEMA Consulting, "EVs are becoming mature, it’s a technology that works. In the same way as solar if it works in the nordics, where it has to work below 20 degrees zero, you can be sure it works in other countries as well. this harsh environment and dependence on the weather has helped us to get an efficient system based on the resources we have."
Jacob Dalton, Head of Trading and Energy Management at Tibber, believes we need to focus on scaling. "Countries can move beyond the conversation that’s talking about the potential of new technologies and the potential of distributed energy resources etc. Thes technologies are implemented and they’re business models that are already functioning in the nordics and brining value to society today. And we should be scaling these throughout Europe - so essentially [other countries] can leapfrog and learn alot from our pain and processes of implementing and getting these out to a commercial scale. Pilots are a thing of the past - this is happening here and now."
Markku Kivisto, Head of Cleantech at Business Finland says, "this is an opportunity to bring some of the nordic technologies to the rest of the world, and help them abate CO2 emissions. When we do this together, it creates prosperity for everybody."
